Kaoru in Wonderland
by SebastianSohmaMichaelis
Summary: Kaoru finds herself on a magical journey through Wonderland. What will she find? Can she catch the White Rabbit? Find out!


Karou in Wonderland

Character List

Kaoru= Alice

Kenshin= White Rabbit

Megumi= Red Queen

Saito= Blue Caterpillar

Sanosuke= Mad Hatter

Yahiko= March Hare

Misao= Chesire cat

Hiko= Dodo bird

Yutaro= Doremouse

Aoshi= The Duchess (The Duke)

Kaoru in Wonderland

"Very good Yahiko, your technique is very good today." Kaoru complimented her trainee in the Kamiya Kasshin style of martial arts.

"How about a break?" Yahiko asked as he put down his wooden sword in defeat. "I'm beat and it smells like Kenshin is making something good in the kitchen."

"No way Yahiko. We aren't stopping until you've completed your training session. You have to work hard if you ever want to be a good swordsman." Kaoru ordered. A knock on the door sent Kaoru's focused gaze on Kenshin.

"Um…Miss Kaoru, dinner is ready that it is. You and Yahiko should take a break and come eat that you should." Kenshin gave them his sweetest smile and waited anxiously for Kaoru's answer. She sighed and sent Yahiko ahead to the kitchen. Kaoru stopped behind Kenshin, hesitating to leave when her mind was completely submerged in the thought of using the Kamiya Kasshin style. Kenshin noticed her pause. "Miss Kaoru, is something wrong?"

Kenshin's concerned voice stunned Kaoru back into reality. "Hmm…oh yes. I'm fine, I'll be right there." Kenshin nodded and turned back after Yahiko. When Kaoru rounded the corner and spotted Kenshin, she began to think her mind was playing tricks on her. It seemed that Kenshin had suddenly sprouted white bunny ears on his thick red hair, just above his signature ponytail. As Kaoru questioned why she was seeing this, Kenshin also sprouted a small white cotton tail.

"Kenshin, what's going on?" Kaoru asked.

Kenshin spoke as if he hadn't heard her question. "Oh no! This is not good that it isn't, I'm going to be late!" Kenshin rushed away from the dojo and headed towards the front gate.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru shouted after him, completely confused. Without thinking it over, Kaoru rushed after him, as fast as she could, desperately trying to keep up with him. The faster Kaoru ran after him, the faster Kenshin sped away. "Kenshin!" Kaoru called. "Where are you going?"

Kenshin continued to run, never hearing his name being called desperately by Kaoru. Kaoru didn't give up; she kept running after him and calling his name. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Kenshin disappeared. Kaoru grew confused and even more curious. Kaoru pressed on, looking around in every direction for a sign of danger or a new enemy. At first Kaoru thought someone had captured Kenshin and concern for him grew and sat in Kaoru's throat. Her pace picked up and the next thing she knew, she was falling.

Kaoru screamed a blood curdling scream; but to no avail. All around her was nothing but a black abyss with nothing to cling to; to slow her descent. After what felt to Kaoru like a very long time, Kaoru finally felt solid ground beneath her feet again. "I'm not sure what that was but when I find Kenshin, he is in so much trouble for this." Kaoru dusted off her kimono and searched around for Kenshin when she heard his trademark, "Oro" coming from down the hall.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru raced down the hall in the direction of Kenshin's nervous cry. Kaoru finally found Kenshin again just as he disappeared through a curtained door. Kaoru pulled the curtain back and she discovered nothing but wall. "What? But….Kenshin just went through here." She investigated the wall and found a very tiny door, the size a doll could pass through.

"I see you're lost Alice." A husky male voice said from behind. Kaoru screamed in terror and turned to the face the voice dead on.

"Show yourself! I warn you, I'm a master in the Kamiya Kasshin style and I'm not afraid to use it to defend myself so just watch it." Kaoru warned.

"Easy now Alice, wouldn't want to upset yourself." The figure replied.

"Who is this Alice you're speaking of?" Kaoru asked. "My name is Kaoru Kamiya."

"Say whatever you like Alice, but I know it's you. But for formality's sake, I'll reintroduce myself. I am the dodo bird." The figure finally appeared from the shadows. The figure reminded Kaoru of Sir Hiko Seijuro, Kenshin's mentor. He seemed very different from the first time she met him; instead of his white coat with red trim, black pants, and blue short sleeve shirt, he now wore a purple version of his inside attire and his coat was gone. In its place was a purple coat that clung tightly to his body, enhancing the muscles of his shoulders and arms. The bottom of the coat puffed out in a weird way that resembled a bird tail.

"Sir Hiko? Sir Hiko Seijuro is that you?" Kaoru asked.

"Of course not, weren't you listening? I am the Dodo bird." Sir Hiko made a sound that didn't seem to come from him. Instead it sounded like a bird sat in the back of the room and squawked. But to Kaoru's disbelief and confusion, the squawk did indeed escape the lips of the ruthless Sir Hiko Seijuro. "If you would like to know, he went in that door."

"Who went in what door?"

"Please Alice, do try to keep up. The White Rabbit you're chasing? He's gone into that door. And the only way you'll be able to follow him is if you take some of this." The Dodo, Sir Hiko's likeness, pulled an unlabeled bottle from his pocket. A small tag hung from the bottle cap read, "Drink Me". Dodo offered Kaoru the bottle and told her to drink it.

Kaoru took a small sip and she handed the bottle back to the dodo bird. Kaoru felt a weird feeling spreading from her feet to her head. She felt as if she was being pulled down toward the ground, the ceiling looking farther and farther away with every beat of her heart. Kaoru looked down at herself and observed that her feet and legs seemed smaller than usual and she saw that she was standing in her kimono but it was now as big as a field and it wrinkled under her tiny feet. "I'm naked!" She screamed. "Get me something to wear!"

Dodo dug into another pocket and pulled out a very small light blue kimono, with a white sarashi and a black ribbon for Kaoru's hair. "That was convenient." Kaoru slipped on the clothes and Dodo's booming gigantic voice whispered to her, "You look more like yourself Alice. But, I forgot to mention something."

"What's that?"

"The door is locked. And the key is somewhere in this room but I don't know where."

"What will I do? I'm three inches high! How can I reach a key anyway?"

Something clicked in the Dodo's memory. He reached into his other pocket and pulled out an unlabeled box. "Look in here." He said. "Perhaps there is something in there to make you grow taller." Kaoru looked in the box and found a small cake that said "Eat Me" on the top. Kaoru shrugged her shoulders and took a bite. Again she felt that aching tugging feeling but this time it was coming from her head. The ceiling seemed to be pulling her upward and stretching her until she was as big as the room. Her arms crammed into the nooks and crannies of the ceiling.

"A little of that went a long way didn't it Alice?" Dodo giggled to himself.

"This is hardly funny, Hiko! Or Dodo or whoever you are. Do you have any more of that liquid stuff?"

"I suppose I might. But if I were you, I'd look around for that key first." As Dodo searched for more of "Drink Me", Kaoru looked around and lo and behold the key was crammed into the spot in the ceiling that jutted out from the wall. She picked it up and put it in her pocket. Dodo tossed her some of "Drink Me" and she sipped it once more. She returned to the three inches tall she had once been. She pulled the key from her pocket, safe and sound and the right size.

Kaoru returned to the door and opened it. She waved goodbye to the Dodo and continued her quest to find Kenshin. She looked around, everywhere her eyes fell, giant beautiful flowers looked back at her. Literally. Each flower looked at Kaoru with big brown, blue, and green eyes and even bigger smiles. Kaoru grew even more confused and more afraid. "This place is just weird. I don't know if I am dreaming or if I really did fall into an alternate world." Kaoru pressed on, still three inches tall, still smaller than the blades of grass she pushed aside.

Something giant jumped over her head and nearly hit her; it was Kenshin, the White Rabbit as the Dodo bird had come to call him. He stopped just in front of her and pulled out his pocket watch. "Oro!" He exclaimed. "I'm going to be very late that I am! I must hurry that I must." Kenshin hopped away from Kaoru.

"Wait! Come back!" Kaoru said. She rushed after him once more, calling for him to wait for her to catch up. Kaoru grew more and more frustrated the faster he ran and the quicker he escaped her line of vision. Kaoru whipped passed another bush and once she did, she noticed a trail of blue smoke, floating her way. She coughed and brushed the smoke out of her face and sought out the source of the smoke. Perched on a giant-sized mushroom was a blue caterpillar. He had a man's torso dressed in what looked like a dark blue policeman's uniform. She recognized his face, but she couldn't place a name on him. She thought long and hard; she knew him from somewhere but she just couldn't put a name with his face.

"Who are you?" The familiar voice asked. Unbeknownst to Kaoru, the former member of the Shinsengumi, Saito Hajime had become the Blue caterpillar sitting before her.

"I…..I can't remember." Kaoru said. "I believe I told the Dodo what my name was but I've changed sizes today and now I can't remember little things like my name."

"Stupid girl. I knew who you were since the moment you stepped into my mushroom patch." He puffed more smoke at Kaoru before he continued. "Your name is Alice, you've been to Wonderland before."

"Wonderland? Alice?" Kaoru asked. "Somehow the name Alice fits like a wrong size shoe. But I can't think of the right size at the moment."

"Well Alice, if you don't even know who you are, I'm not sure I should help you."

"That's right, I was doing something rather important. Oh yes, I was following a white rabbit, have you seen him?" Kaoru asked.

The caterpillar puffed more smoke before he spoke. "Yes. But why should I help you find that hideous creature? All he ever did was nearly trample me every day. Besides," He took another puff of smoke, "why are you so interested in finding him in the first place?"

Kaoru was stunned into silence; why was she following this white rabbit? All she could recall was that she had been following him for a very long time. And then she recalled the face of the white rabbit, that of which reminded her of the one she loved. "I…I was following him because the white rabbit is really Kenshin Himura, the man I love. And I want him to stay with me."

The blue caterpillar laughed joyfully. "Well well. Little Alice has fallen in love with the white rabbit, there's an odd turn of events. Well, I do suppose that I can help you, I've always been entertained by you so I shall indulge you. First of all, he was headed for The Duke's castle in that direction." Saito, the caterpillar, pointed Kaoru in the direction behind him. "However, in your current height, you will never catch him. So, here's a tip, one side will make you grow shorter and the other side will make you grow larger."

"One side of what?" Kaoru asked.

Saito blew another puff of smoke. "The mushroom of course." After the smoke dissipated, Saito the blue caterpillar was gone and above Kaoru's head, flew away a gigantic blue butterfly. Kaoru took the caterpillar's advice and picked two pieces of the mushroom one from each side. Kaoru weighed each piece; she couldn't decide which would make her shorter and which would make her bigger. She took a bite out of the half she held in her left hand. She knew the instant she felt herself being pulled upward that she had chosen the piece that made her grow larger. When she no longer felt her body growing and looked down at the ground, she noticed she was as tall as a building. She took a bite of the other side of the mushroom. Kaoru was returned to her normal size and she continued her search for the White Rabbit. The Duke's castle was in plain sight and Kaoru hurried towards it.

One of the members of the Oniwaban group waited outside the door to the castle, however Kaoru couldn't recognize him as such, Shikijō had transformed from the big, strong muscle of the Oniwaban group into a griffin. "Who are you and what business do you have with The Duke?"

"I am….Alice. I would like to speak to the Duke to ask him if he has seen the White Rabbit?" Kaoru said. She didn't know why she gave him the name Alice, but it seemed to be the name that everyone knew so she decided to go with it. Besides, arguing her identity would not help her find the White Rabbit.

Shikijö stepped aside. "You may enter. But beware." Kaoru paused briefly and went inside anyway. When she walked through the door, she instantly smelled….black pepper. Beshimi stood at the stove, throwing pepper by the handfuls into a boiling pot, screaming, "Black Pepper!"

The smell tickled Kaoru's nostrils and she let out a giant sneeze. She wiped her nose and was startled by a sneeze coming from behind her. There sat Aoshi Shinomori but in Wonderland, he was known as the Duke. He wiped his nose as well and glared at Beshimi. "I thought I told you to take it easy on the pepper!"

"MORE BLACK PEPPER!" Beshimi said, launching the bottle of pepper above Aoshi's head.

"Excuse me." Kaoru politely said.

"For what? Did you say something?" Aoshi asked her.

"Oh. Um, I was hoping you had seen the White Rabbit roaming about." Kaoru explained. Aoshi sneezed again and wiped his nose again before he answered.

"I'm sorry Alice. I'm afraid I have not seen…." Aoshi sneezed again. "Cook! What did I say about the pepper!" He turned back to Kaoru. "So sorry Alice. I have not seen your White Rabbit. Would you like some of the soup Cook is making?" He gestured to the boiling pot and the Cook in the kitchen.

"Eat! Spicy Black Pepper! More Black Pepper!" Beshimi chanted over and over.

Karou winced and sneezed again. "No thank you." Another look at Aoshi and a rather large blue cat materialized in Aoshi's lap. The cat grinned excessively at Kaoru and purred. To Kaoru Kamiya, the blue cat resembled Misao Makimachi, one of the members of the Oniwaban group in Kyoto, Japan, but in Wonderland, she was nothing more than the perpetually grinning Chesire Cat. "Excuse me, Sir Duke but why is your cat grinning at me?"

Aoshi laughed at the ridiculous question. "Chesire cats always grin. How could someone your age know so little Alice." Aoshi belted another laugh; in the middle of the laugh, another wisp of pepper hovered over Aoshi's nose, causing him to stop his laugh mid breath and sneeze once more. "That is it!" Aoshi grabbed the tea cup sitting next to him on the stand and threw it; it hit the cupboard just above Beshimi's head. Kaoru jumped back in surprise. "Enough with the black pepper already! Go find something useful to do somewhere out of my sight!" The cook left and Aoshi mumbled under his breath, "What good are these servants for anyway?"

Han'nya, Shikijo, and Hyottoko burst through the doors and bowed before Aoshi.

Han'nya pulled out a letter and said, "For the Duke, we present an invitation from the Queen."

Shikijo then said, "From the Queen, we present an invitation for the Duke."

"An invitation from the Queen for the Duke we present to you today." Hyottoko finished.

"Let me guess," Aoshi said, "She is summoning me to the Palace of Hearts isn't she?"

"Yes sir!" The three of them said.

Kaoru thanked The Duke for his time and left the house. Kaoru wandered farther into the woods than she knew where to go. She was growing frustrated and distraught as she realized how lost she truly was. Kaoru glanced around, searching for a sign of any living thing that could point her in the right direction. A sudden beacon of light struck the right side of Kaoru's face. "Come here child" a voice called to her. Kaoru's eyebrows bowed down just above her eyelids and yet she complied; there really was no other option. She had in fact just been wondering if someone could show her the way and anybody willing to do so was a good idea.

As Kaoru stepped into the light and glanced down, she noticed two beautiful roses bending in the breeze. The roses resembled the two handmaidens of the Aoi-ya in Kyoto, the handmaidens of Misao, Masukame and Omine. Behind them, were two daisies that resembled Tae Sekihara and Tsubame Sanjo from the Akabeko in Tokoyo. "What beautiful flowers!" Kaoru thought out loud.

"Why thank you!" The flowers thanked.

Kaoru let out a little scream of shock. "Did….did you just speak?"

"Why of course we did. You were talking to us and what you said deserved a big thank you. Where are you going Alice?" The rose Masukame asked.

"Well….I'm….not sure where I'm going but I'm looking for the White Rabbit. Have you seen him?"

The flowers giggled. "Oh we saw him alright. But we're curious Alice. Why do you seek him?" The daisy named Tae asked her.

"I…..I can't really remember. But I do know that I am very curious as to where he is going. So could you please point me in the right direction?" Kaoru begged.

"Well, we could." The second rose named Omine said.

"But that would be telling wouldn't it?" The second daisy named Tsubame continued.

Kaoru huffed in frustration and continued her way forward. After about five minutes of walking, Kaoru heard a rustle in the bushes. She thought to herself, "That was the third time this place has taken me off guard and scared me. What is going on?" Suddenly, The Cheshire Cat appeared again, floating cherubically in front of her. "Chesire Cat, right?"

"I'm flattered you remembered me Alice. It has been far too long." She grinned.

"Could you perhaps tell me how to find the White Rabbit?" Kaoru asked.

"Ah, the White Rabbit. What a nice fellow. If you'd really like to know, he went that way."

"Oh thank you so much!" Kaoru started to head in the direction Misao pointed.

"Of course, I'm not the greatest person to ask with directions. I'm so….unsure about these things." Misao said as her tail and body began to slowly disintegrate into the atmosphere.

"No wait! Please." Kaoru pleaded.

"What is it?"

"If you aren't sure where he went, perhaps you could point me in the direction of someone who can?" Kaoru asked.

Misao's body came back instantaneously and she hummed. "Well, there is the Mad Hatter."

"The Mad Hatter? But….if he's mad I would rather not meet him."

"Then, there's the March Hare. Of course, he's mad too." Misao explained.

"Why is everyone so mad here?"

"Because they're here and everyone here is mad." Misao said. "Whether or not you take the path is your decision Alice." Misao disappeared for the final time and Kaoru did not see her reappear in those woods again. A sign pointed Kaoru in the direction of the Mad Hatter's home and she quickly placed herself on that trail. The scent of tea came bursting through her nostrils and her taste buds and her mouth watered. She followed the scent to a long table, set for about 20 people and at the far end, sat a tall figure with a very tall hat sipping tea next to another man with long brown ears, longer than the White Rabbits. Kaoru figured the two figures were the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, and it wasn't very difficult to decipher which was which.

The Mad Hatter was Sanoske Sagara, he sat at the head of the table farthest away from her. His arms were folded across his chest and he had a wide grin on his face. The March Hare, otherwise known as Yahiko Myojin with long, brown ears and a tiny green hat resting between them, sat on the right side of the table and sipped at his tea. On the other side, sat the Doremouse Yutaro Tsukayama with a pair of mouse ears on his head, nodding off into sleep. "Well, well well look who we have here Hare." The Mad Hatter said.

"Excuse me?" Kaoru asked.

"Oh nothing missy. Just letting the March Hare know that we have a guest. Welcome, Miss Alice." Sanosuke the Mad Hatter tipped his hat to Kaoru. "However, there's no room." Karou looked around at the multiple empty seats. A look of offense and confusion took over her face.

"But….there's plenty of room." Kaoru argued.

"But it's rude to sit down without an invitation." The March Hare added. "And especially one so ugly." He continued under his breath.

"I heard that Mister." Kaoru said, scowling at the March Hare. The Mad Hatter laughed at their bickering and decided to invite Alice to sit down.

"So Alice, what brings you back to Wonderland so soon?" The Mad Hatter asked.

"Well…I was…" Kaoru began.

"Hold that thought Missy. First you must have a cup of tea. Just put it on my tab." He said, handing her a cup overflowing with tea. It splashed all over Kaoru's kimono. "Whoops. Sorry Missy. Doremouse, wake up and dry off Alice's clothes." He ordered him.

The Doremouse's eyes peaked open slowly, and then he stretched and yawned. "What now? What did you want Hatter?"

"I said to wake up and dry off Alice's clothes." The Hatter repeated himself. The Doremouse let out another big yawn and got up from the table. He came over to Kaoru with a dry napkin and dabbed at Kaoru's kimono. Before her very eyes, the tea stain vanished. "There now, all dry." The Hatter slapped the napkin out of Doremouse's paw and dismissed him.

"Hatter?" Kaoru asked.

"Yes Alice?"

"Have you seen the White Rabbit?"

He looked up. "The White Rabbit you say?" He pondered her question. "Hmm….can't say that I have. Sorry. Besides, I'm sure the White Rabbit owes me money so he wouldn't come around me."

"Don't you mean you owe the White Rabbit money so you won't seek him out you big dummy." The March Hare said.

The Mad Hatter grew…well..mad. "Hey! I don't owe that pipsqueak anything! And don't call me a dummy. You're the dummy."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Boys!" Kaoru interrupted. "You two remind me of someone. And they both sound just like you. Quit your bickering and please tell me where I can find the White Rabbit if you please."

"Well ugly, no one here has seen a White Rabbit. So there you have it." The March Hare said.

Kaoru scowled at the March Hare completely offended. "I'm not ugly." She thought to herself.

"I have a question for you now Missy." The Mad Hatter said.

"A question for me? What is it?"

He sipped his tea and said, "Have you any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?"

Kaoru was beyond confused by his riddle. One minute he was bickering it out with the March Hare like two of Kaoru's friends that she couldn't put names to at the moment and the next he's asking stupid riddles. Kaoru thought carefully. "Why is a raven like a writing desk?" She thought out loud.

"What?" The Mad Hatter asked.

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" Kaoru replied.

"I haven't the slightest idea." He replied.

"But….but it's your stupid riddle." Kaoru rebutted.

"What is?"

"Oh that's it!" Kaoru said. "I'm leaving. I'll find the White Rabbit on my own."

"Looks like it won't be that big of a problem." The Doremouse spoke up.

"Why not?" Kaoru asked him.

"He went to the Palace of Hearts like everyone else. The Queen has ordered everyone to attend the trial."

Kaoru didn't mind the comment about the trial. "Why didn't you say something when I asked where the White Rabbit was?" She angrily spat at the Doremouse.

It was too late, for the Doremouse had fallen back asleep and the March Hare and Mad Hatter were going at it again. Kaoru thought to herself, "This is the stupidest tea party I've ever been too. And I haven't been to many tea parties." She stormed off towards the signs at the fork in the road. One sign pointed to the Palace and the other pointed to the woods she had just come from. The Palace wasn't as far away as she thought. The lush gardens of the Palace welcomed Kaoru to the Palace of Hearts. The moment her foot touched the heart filled path, The Queen of Heart's men grabbed her by the arms and escorted her to a court room.

"Silence in the court. Now presiding, the honorable and noble Queen of Hearts. All bow before the Queen!" The guard shouted. Suddenly, everyone Kaoru had met: The Dodo, The Duke, The Chesire Cat, The Blue Caterpillar, The Mad Hatter, The March Hare, and The Doremouse all sat in rows behind her, actively listening. Even the Duke's servants sat in their own rows and observed the front of the court room.

The Queen of Hearts was dressed in a tight red kimono with pink cherry blossoms on the left side. The Queen's hair was as dark as night with bright red lips. To Kaoru Kamiya, this would be Megumi Takani, her arch rival and friend. "The trial will now commence. The accused Alice versus the people of Wonderland."

"What?"

"The prisoner is sentenced to death. Off with her head!" The Queen ordered.

"You can't be serious! There was no verdict! There wasn't even a trial." Kaoru argued.

"Sentence first, verdict after. It's more fun that way."

"But that isn't the way!"

"In Wonderland, everything is my way! Call the first witness."

Yahiko, no longer portraying the March Hare, sat at the stand. "I was wronged by the accused. My training and hard work suffered because of Alice!"

"Wait! I've never done anything of the sort! This isn't right." Kaoru cried.

"Silence. You've said enough."

"I haven't said anything! Please, I don't even know what I'm doing here!"

The Queen sighed and dismissed Yahiko. "Haven't you figured it out yet? You've become a shell of your former self. You aren't even you anymore. You've allowed yourself to be broken beyond repair and you won't pull yourself back together. All you have done is mope around and feel sorry for yourself and that is a crime I will not tolerate!"

"But wait! I…."

"What Alice?"

"Alice? Alice. Everyone keeps calling me Alice. But….that name is wrong."

"What's wrong is you. Not only did you allow yourself to be broken but you also kept your feelings your own. Everyone has witnessed your true feelings yet you lie. You lie Alice."

"Alice….that…..doesn't sound right. At all." Kaoru thought long and hard, her brain throbbed at her efforts. She retraced everything she had said and done throughout this whole endeavor. She finally reached the beginning; she saw the face of the Dodo bird, and when she looked at him sitting in the courtroom, she remembered what she had first called him. "Hiko Seijuro."

"Call that witness to the stand." The Queen ordered. Hiko rose from his seat, his face an expressionless canvas. He took his seat at the stand. "What say you of her crimes?"

He looked up and a smirk painted his face. "I think she should fess up. I could see it in her eyes the moment I met her. Her heart is for one person and one person only. The only one who doesn't know, is my dumb apprentice she longs for."

"Apprentice? That's right. Hiko Seijuro is….Kenshin's master! Kenshin!" Kaoru suddenly remembered everything. "That's right. My name is Kaoru Kamiya of the Kamiya Kasshin style dojo. I came here accidentally because I was chasing after Kenshin Himura."

"Why?" The Queen pressed. "Why did you follow him?" Kaoru paused again. Everyone in Wonderland asked her the same thing when she asked them where Kenshin had run off to. Should she say it? Could she say it? Did she even know the answer to this question? Why did she follow Kenshin?

Suddenly, Kenshin's face popped in her mind. She saw his beautiful smile and the way it reached to the bottom of his cross shaped scar. She remembered his kind eyes and his sweet voice. "Please tell me Miss Kaoru, you can tell me anything that you can."

"Kenshin." She sighed his name. "I…..I love you Kenshin. I want you to be with me, forever. I never want to have to say goodbye to you ever again." She looked to the waiting audience. "I chased Kenshin Himura because I'm in love with him. All I want is for him to be safe in the dojo with me forever and ever. I want him to want me the way I want him. I want him the love me the way no one else can." Tears began to fill Kaoru's eyes. "I…..want Kenshin."

Megumi laughed. "My Kaoru, at last."

"Huh?"

"The truth shall set you free. Now, you may return home. But remember this Kaoru," A swirling wind surrounded Kaoru and the next thing she knew, she was cradled in Kenshin's arms. "He'll never know until you confess your love. Just tell him." The room echoed those last three words. "Just tell him. Just tell him." They whispered. Kenshin pulled Kaoru upward and upward, until she could feel warm water licking at her arms. She opened her eyes and found herself in the bathtub at the dojo; she concluded that she had fallen asleep while taking a bath. Suddenly Kenshin burst through the door. "Miss Kaoru! Are you….all….right. Oh no."

Kaoru burned bright red with embarrassment. She reached for the closest thing to her and threw it at Kenshin, hitting him smack in the forehead. "Kenshin! Get out! Why do you always do this?"

"I'm sorry Miss Kaoru!" Kenshin cried as he ran out of the bathhouse. He tripped over the stairs and let out a painful, "Oro."

Later that evening, Kaoru sat Kenshin down for a talk. "Kenshin, I'd like to talk to you about earlier."

"I'm very sorry about walking in on you Miss Kaoru. Again. It's just that, you had been in the bath for a long time and I got worried that I did."

"You….were worried about me?" Kaoru asked, beaming like the Chesire Cat.

"Of course Miss Kaoru, you mean a lot to me that you do. I would hate for something bad to happen to you."

Kaoru smiled to herself and her dream entered the front most thoughts of her mind. "Just tell him."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing, I was just thinking that….."  
>"Yes?"<p>

"There is….something I'd like to tell you."

"What is it?" Kenshin scooted ever so slightly closer to Kaoru.

"Well….this is difficult for me to admit but…..I just wanted to say that…." She looked into his gorgeous eyes and a small flame of courage suddenly exploded into an enormous flame and she went for it. "Kenshin, I'm in love with you. Since the day we met, you've been someone very special to me and now…I know in my heart that I love you with every fiber of my being and all I want is for you and me to be together, if you feel the same way. I…understand if you don't feel the same way but I had to let you know my true feelings for you; I was tired of lying to myself."

Kenshin blinked once and then smiled. "Miss Kaoru?" He asked.

"Yes Kenshin?" She thought to herself, "This is it! He's going to tell me how he really feels; I hope I'm ready for this."

"Miss Kaoru, I feel the same way."

"You do?"

"I love you that I do. I told you how special you were to me and I never want any harm to come to you ever. I'll always protect you because I'm in love with you as well that I am. Kind of silly but I was scared to tell you how I really felt too." He nervously put his hand behind his head and smiled at Kaoru. Kaoru was so happy and overwhelmed by her feelings that she laid her head on Kenshin's chest and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Oh Kenshin." She said. "I'm so glad I had that dream."

"What dream? Do you mean the one you had in the bath?" Kenshin asked, wrapping his arms around her.

She giggled. "Yes. That dream. You were a white rabbit." She laughed hysterically.

"Oro?"


End file.
